Indonesia’s navy is searching for a submarine that went missing north of of Bali with 53 people on board and has sought help from Australia and Singapore, the military says.
The KRI Nanggala 402 was participating in a training exercise when it missed a scheduled reporting call, military chief Hadi Tjahjanto said.
The submarine was believed to have disappeared in waters about 95km north of Bali, he said.
Tjahjanto said the navy has deployed scores of ships to search the area, including a hydrographic survey ship, and had asked for help from Singapore and Australia, which had submarine rescue vessels.
The Defence Ministry said the submarine lost contact after being granted clearance to dive.
It said a helicopter later spotted an oil slick near the dive’s starting position.
The submarine was carrying 49 crew members, its commander and three gunners, it said.
An electrical failure may have occurred during the dive, causing the submarine to lose control and become unable to undertake emergency procedures that would have allowed it to resurface.
The navy said it believed the submarine sank to a depth of 600-700m.
The German-built submarine, which has been in service in Indonesia since 1981, was rehearsing for a missile-firing exercise that was to take place on Thursday. Tjahjanto and other military leaders were to attend.
Indonesia currently has a fleet of five submarines and plans to operate at least eight by 2024.
The country, the world’s largest archipelago nation with more than 17,000 islands, has faced growing challenges to its maritime claims in recent years, including numerous incidents involving Chinese vessels near the Natuna islands.
